Then, a little sad,

Came my child in turn,
But the lamp he had,

O it did not burn!
He, to clear my doubt,
Said, half-turned about,
"Your tears put it out;

Mother, never mourn."

William Barnes [1801-1886]

THE LITTLE GHOST

THE stars began to peep
Gone was the bitter day.
She heard the milky ewes

Bleat to their lambs astray.

Her heart cried for her lamb

Lapped cold in the churchyard sod,
She could not think on the happy children
At play with the Lamb of God.

She heard the calling ewes

And the lambs' answer, alas!

She heard her heart's blood drip in the night

As the ewes' milk on the grass.

Her tears that burnt like fire

So bitter and slow ran down

She could not think on the new-washed children
Playing by Mary's gown.

Oh who is this comes in

Over her threshold stone?

And why is the old dog wild with joy.

Who all day long made moan?

This fair little radiant ghost,

Her one little son of seven,

New 'scaped from the band of merry children

In the nurseries of Heaven.

Motherhood

He was all clad in white

Without a speck or stain;
His curls had a ring of light
That rose and fell again.

"Now come with me, my own mother,
And you shall have great ease,
For you shall see the lost children
Gathered to Mary's knees."..

Oh, lightly sprang she up

Nor waked her sleeping man,
And hand in hand with the little ghost
Through the dark night she ran.

She is gone swift as a fawn,

As a bird homes to its nest,

She has seen them lie, the sleepy children
Twixt Mary's arm and breast.

At morning she came back;

Her eyes were strange to see.
She will not fear the long journey,

However long it be.

As she goes in and out

She sings unto hersel';

For she has seen the mothers' children

And knows that it is well.

303

Katharine Tynan [1861

MOTHERHOOD

THE night throbs on; O, let me pray, dear lad!
Crush off his name a moment from my mouth.
To Thee my eyes would turn, but they go back,
Back to my arm beside me, where he lay-
So little, Lord, so little and so warm!

I cannot think that Thou hadst need of him!
He was so little, Lord, he cannot sing,
He cannot praise Thee; all his life had learned
Was to hold fast my kisses in the night..

Give him to me he is not happy there!
He had not felt this life; his lovely eyes
Just knew me for his mother, and he died.

Hast Thou an angel there to mother him?
I say he loves me best-if he forgets,
If Thou allow it that my child forgets
And runs not out to meet me when I come-

What are my curses to Thee? Thou hast heard
The curse of Abel's mother, and since then

We have not ceased to threaten at Thy throne,
To threat and pray Thee that Thou hold them still
In memory of us.

See Thou tend him well,

Thou God of all the mothers. If he lack
One of his kisses-ah, my heart, my heart,
Do angels kiss in heaven? Give him back!

Forgive me, Lord, but I am sick with grief,
And tired of tears, and cold to comforting.

Thou art wise, I know, and tender, aye, and good,
Thou hast my child, and he is safe in Thee,
And I believe-

Ah, God, my child shall go

Orphaned among the angels! All alone.

So little and alone! He knows not Thee,
He only knows his mother-give him back.
Josephine Daskam Bacon [1876-

THE MOTHER'S PRAYER

THE good Lord gave, the Lord has taken from me,
Blessed be His name, His holy will be done.
The mourners all have gone, all save I, his mother,
The little grave lics lonely in the sun.

The Mother's Prayer

1

3395 Nay! I would not follow, though they did beseech me, For the angels come now waiting for my dead. Heaven's door is open, so my whispers soar there,

While the gentle angels lift him from his bed.

Oh Lord, when Thou gavest he was weak and helpless, Could not rise nor wander from my shielding arm; Lovely is he now and strong with four sweet summers, Laughing, running, tumbling, hard to keep from harm.

If some tender mother, whose babe on earth is living,
Takes his little hand to guide his stranger feet
'Mid the countless hosts that cross the floor of heaven,
Thou wilt not reprove her for Thy pity sweet.

If upon her breast she holds his baby beauty,
All his golden hair will fall about her hand,
Laughing let her fingers pull it into ringlets-
Long and lovely ringlets. She will understand.

Wilful are his ways and full of merry mischief;

If he prove unruly, lay the blame on me. Never did I chide him for his noise or riot, Smiled upon his folly, glad his joy to see.

Each eve shall I come beside his bed so lowly; "Hush-a-by, my baby," softly shall I sing, So, if he be frightened, full of sleep and anger,

The song he loved shall reach him and sure comfort bring.

Lord, if in my praying, Thou shouldst hear me weeping,

Ever was I wayward, always full of tears,

Take no heed of this grief. Sweet the gift Thou gavest
All the cherished treasure of those golden years.

Do not, therefore, hold me to Thy will ungrateful:
Soon I shall stand upright, smiling, strong, and brave,
With a son in heaven the sad earth forgetting,

But 'tis lonely yet, Lord, by the little grave.
Oh, 'tis lonely, lonely, by the little grave!

Dora Sigerson Shorter [18

DA LEETLA BOY

DA spreeng ees com'; but oh, da joy

Eet ees too late!

He was so cold, my leetla boy,
He no could wait.

I no can count how manny week,
How manny day, dat he ees seeck;
How manny night I seet an' hold
Da leetla hand dat was so cold.
He was so patience, oh, so sweet!

Eet hurts my throat for theenk of eet;
An' all he evra ask ees w'en
Ees gona com' da spreeng agen.
Wan day, wan brighta sunny day,
He see, across da alleyway,
Da leetla girl dat's livin' dere
Ees raise her window for da air,
An' put outside a leetla pot
Of-w'at-you-call?-forgat-me-not.
So smalla flower, so leetla theeng!
But steell eet mak' hees hearta seeng:
"Oh, now, at las', ees com' da spreeng!
Da leetla plant ees glad for know
Da sun ees com' for mak' eet grow.
So, too, I am grow warm and strong."
So lika dat he seeng hees song.

But, ah! da night com' down an' den
Da weenter ees sneak back agen,

An' een da alley all da night

Ees fall da snow, so cold, so white,

An' cover up da leetla pot

Of w'at-you-call?-forgat-me-not.

All night da leetla hand I hold

Ees grow so cold, so cold, so cold!

Da spreeng ces com'; but, oh, da joy

Eet ees too late!

He was so cold, my leetla boy,

He no could wait.

Thomas Augustin Daly [:871